Question:
I am a woman of African descent and for many years have been straightening my hair and wearing it in tightly braided styles. I’ve been doing this for over 15 years and have now lost about 6 cm of hair in the temples and perhaps 4 cm of hair in the front. Is there anything that can be done?
Answer:
Without seeing you personally, I can only quote from past experiences. If the hair is thick in the rest of the scalp, a two-stage procedure involving expansion of the scalp could fully cover the whole area. There would have to be perhaps 8 to 12 weeks of time between the two procedures, but if the situation is favorable we could cover most of the bald area with the two operations. This would generally thin the existing hair. If the existing hair is thick, the change would not be perceptible. Otherwise the only answer would be to wear a wig. These cases have to be handled on a highly individualized basis.
Posted by Sheldon Kabaker M.D. FACS